An elderly Ballygunge resident reported a theft of valuables, including a Rolex watch and diamond jewellery, from his home on Monday, shortly after a domestic help left for his native place, citing a relative’s funeral.

Police intercepted the suspect, Dipak Mondal, at Sealdah station before he could board a train to Bihar. The stolen items, worth around ₹50 lakh, were recovered in full, the cops said on Monday evening.

Nathmal Bangani, 73, of 32/1 Rowland Row, filed a complaint at Ballygunge police station on Monday morning. He reported that several gold and diamond jewellery pieces, a Rolex watch, two other watches, silver articles, and about ₹12,000 were missing from his home.

Bangani also informed police that Mondal, a house staff member from Madhubani, Bihar, had left early that morning, saying he was going to attend his cousin’s last rites.

“Using technical surveillance, our team tracked Mondal and intercepted him at Sealdah station while he was preparing to board the Ganga Sagar Express. All the stolen items were found in his possession,” said an officer of Ballygunge police station.

Following the incident, the police reiterated the importance of collecting domestic workers’ identity and contact details before employment.

“We continue to find that many people skip this security step. We strongly urge all residents, especially the elderly, to collect and register the identity details of domestic help with the local police station,” said a senior officer from Lalbazar, the city police headquarters.

A few weeks ago, an 82-year-old woman in New Garia was allegedly killed by an ayah hired to care for her and her 87-year-old husband. Their children live in other cities.

According to the police, the accused woman disconnected the house’s power and CCTV lines before the assault, hoping to avoid detection. She allegedly attacked the elderly man, leaving him unconscious, and killed the woman while attempting to steal valuables. However, CCTV footage captured her disconnecting the power, which led to her identification. She and an alleged accomplice waiting outside were later arrested and charged with murder.